Sandown

NOT SO SLEEPY stayed on best of all to win the rescheduled Betfair Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Sandown.

Saved from Newcastle’s abandoned card last weekend, the race lost plenty of its lustre when Nicky Henderson withdrew the current champion hurdler Constitution Hill and stablemate Shishkin.

That meant just four went to post, with Goshen and You Wear It Well setting a strong enough gallop in the conditions.

By the second last those two had done their running while Not So Sleepy, who turns 12 in a few weeks, was still on the bridle under Sean Bowen.

Love Envoi, who had not really been travelling throughout, soon appeared on the scene but approaching the last Not So Sleepy, who dead-heated in the race with Epatante in 2021, quickened eight lengths clear.

It was a noteworthy success for Bowen, who also holds a sizeable lead in the race to become champion jockey.

“You can see why Nicky didn’t want to turn up,” quipped a delighted Morrison.

“That was a Grade One, those mares were Grade One mares, Goshen should have won a Grade One and he has dead-heated in a Grade One. Whenever conditions are right he is a Grade One horse.

“I’m thrilled, this is the race we have aimed for since Newbury and it is a great relief that we are here.

“It’s great for the team and Raj who leads him up, rides him every day and gets ran away with at home. You have to keep it simple at home and he is a legend. This is his 10th season racing and he has lost none of his enthusiasm and he is better than ever.

“He is magnificent, he’s a legend, he is absolutely unique. He runs away with his jockey everyday and you can’t take him to half the gallops because he will plant and do things like that. But he was in the mood today, he looked really well and funny enough in the Cesarewitch didn’t look as well as I thought he would. If you looked at him today in the paddock he looked magnificent.

“Coming to the second last I thought we had it won and then I thought we were beat. But Sean said as soon as they came to him he just picked up again. He did what he did at Newbury and the reason he can keep going is you just don’t know how good he is.”

Bowen added: “It’s gruelling ground but it was something he seemed to relish today.

“It’s amazing to get a ride on that sort of horse. He was the outsider and probably had a lot to do, but on his day is a very very good horse.

“He got to the front two out and had a look around at the last, but he was always going to win when he heard someone behind him.

“It’s amazing to get these Grade Ones, it’s brilliant.”

Also at Sandown, Le Patron provided jockey David Noonan with a first Grade One success in the Betfair Henry VIII Novices’ Chase.

Sent off the 16-1 outsider of the six-runner field, Gary Moore’s had won two minor handicaps prior to stepping into Grade One company.

He jumped like an old hand, especially when it mattered most in the straight, while the favourite JPR One blundered two out and saw his chance disappear.

Colonel Harry stayed on strongly in the straight having been outpaced and briefly looked as if he could make a race of it, however, he could only close to within a length and a quarter.

Noonan said: “It will take a while to sink in and I’m very lucky to have the opportunity to ride a horse of that quality and to go and do it is amazing.

“They were quietly confident beforehand and thought he would run a big race, but whether they thought he would do that or not I don’t know. I’m glad it all worked out.

“Day in, day out you are trucking around to come to these big days and it is brilliant. To have a horse who is competitive and can do the job is even better. Hopefully it is a bit of good advertising.”

It is the second time Moore has saddled the winner of this event after the success of Ar Mad in 2015 and the handler was delighted to secure another big race victory at his favourite racecourse.

He said: “It was an ambitious shout, but when a horse jumps as he does and goes in soft ground as he does, we had to give it a try – especially the way the races are cutting up at the present time.

“It didn’t really cut up today, but full credit to Jamie (Moore) who has done all the donkey work on him and David has given him a lovely ride today.

“Liz (Avery, owner) is an elderly lady and she bought this horse over a year ago and we told her he’s a chaser, he’s not a two-mile hurdler. That’s why he ended up with the mark he had and thank god he has proven us right. Not often does that happen, but it has today.”

He went on: “Obviously it was a concern (coming back in trip) but when he jumps like he does and when the ground is as testing as it was on this track, it probably wasn’t as much of a problem.

“He wouldn’t have the pace that Ar Mad had, but he will come back now for the two-and-a-half-mile race here, the Scilly Isles.

“I love Sandown, it’s the best racecourse in the country – especially when you get a horse that jumps like he does, it’s a great spectacle.

On Noonan, he added: “The boys ride will the majority, but I think David is a lovely rider and very underused and very underrated. All the time I need to use him, I will use him.

“He’s been in and schooled him in the week and that’s the kind of person he is, I’m not sure where he lives but he doesn’t live round the corner. He’s had to come up and school this horse especially.”

In the Betfair Tingle Creek Chase, Jonbon showed a different side to his character when running out a gritty winner.

The two-mile Grade One was run in very testing conditions and Nicky Henderson’s seven-year-old was not seen to best effect but took his record to 12 wins from 14 career outings.

Only four went to post with Boothill a non-runner but Gary Moore’s Haddex Des Obeaux made sure there was no hanging about.

Nico de Boinville had Jonbon settled in second but when the runners went out down the back straight he was jumping so well he soon found himself upsides.

Edwardstone survived a bad blunder at one of the Railway Fences but did not lose much momentum and he soon got involved on the turn for home.

Briefly Jonbon looked like he may have a real fight on his hands but his class come to the fore and he was soon back on the bridle.

Having safely jumped the last fence Jonbon, sent off the 30-100 favourite, stayed on strongly to beat Edwardstone by two and three-quarter lengths.

Navan

Henry de Bromhead’s Slade Steel continued to impress with a neat victory in the Tote Navan Novice Hurdle.

The Robcour-owned five-year-old was a point-to-point and bumper winner who made a taking start to his career over obstacles when winning a Naas maiden by five and a half lengths in November.

This was a step up to Grade Two level under Rachael Blackmore and the gelding proved himself worthy of the task with a tough half-length win from Lecky Watson at 2-1.

“I’m delighted with that, it was tough work,” said De Bromhead.

“We’d always hoped he’d be a better horse on nicer ground, he’d definitely have a preference for it, so it’s great to see him get through that and get the job done.

“Rachael was happy and said he idled a little bit in front. He’s progressing which is lovely.

“I don’t think he needs to go up to an extreme distance, he’s got plenty of gears and he won a bumper well.”

As for next steps for the bay, De Bromhead added: “There is the Dublin Racing Festival, although you might have to drop back or go up further there.

“We’ll see, we’ll enjoy today as that was a good race to win today. We’ll discuss it and see what everyone would like to do.”

Aintree 

Chambard had to be very tough to land Aintree’s Boylesports Becher Handicap Chase and help amateur rider Lucy Turner the become first woman to win the famous race.

Venetia Williams’ 11-year-old was among the lesser-fancied of the 12 runners over the Grand National fences as heavy ground guaranteed the event was going to be a real test of stamina.

Under Turner the bay never looked to struggle with the conditions, however, jumping soundly at the head of the field with Laura Morgan’s Percussion for company.

Gradually the going took its toll on the field and plenty of horses were pulled up at the rear of the pack as Chambard still travelled happily at the front and was eventually left well clear to canter to a 13-length success at 18-1 over top weight Coko Beach.

The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!